After an amateur hour attempt to get to the start - including leaving late, dropping the map under the car seat, getting lost, losing my glasses on the way to the start only to find them on the back of my head - I somehow managed to sign on with five minutes to spare and zero warm up. It was my first trip to the Cyclopark, and it'll be lovely when they finish it
The track itself is great, smooth and fast. I presume the run off areas are deliberately left as mud to slow any errant rider before they contact the stadium lights. The toilets were out of action as they were frozen, and the coffee truck parked in the unsurfaced car park - there was a golf tee shoe brush at the start line to remove enough mud from the walk to actually clip in - was doing brisk business.The E1/2's left with a small break until the 3/4s. It is a good lap there; long with undulations. The start/finish straight is well sighted and uphill, coupled with today's stiff breeze got me thinking both that a break would struggle to stay away, and that a bunch sprint would be tough with a slight bend just before the line.
There were a few digs at the start, none of which came to anything. Dulwich Paragon were out in force with one of their riders involved in every one, and understandably little enthusiasm from their riders in the pack to do much other than stonewall and soft pedal.
Come half way and the same characters were getting involved. Norwood Paragaon, Dulwich Paragon, a chap from Essex Road and a SEEDS rider. The field was largely together making quick pace but being cautious coming into the final straight and bunching to avoid doing too much work into the headwind.
Coming in the final stages the inevitable happened with a crash at the front in the first hairpin, a Dulwich Paragon rider either touching wheels, rolling a tub or overcooking it, and he went down in the middle of the pack. He came down right in front of me and somehow I managed to avoid coming off, and thought the field would give some grace and not attack, but they did the opposite. Given everyone else was, I jumped on and the field effectively split into two.
Five then four then three laps came and the field was coming back together, but more importantly the E1/2 were starting to play games in front, and slowed right down. Not wanting to mix it up, the 3/4 field tried to maintain some distance but it was getting ridiculous, down to granny ring pace bringing the previously split field back into a single group.
Two laps came and there wasn't much for it but to let them have their race and us to go ahead. Coming into the last lap the attack came fron the Essex Road rider and I found myself jumping on, not believing it would come to much into the headwind. A Dulwich Paragon rider was in too, subsequently I learned a previous winner in this series. With no field in front we could carry pace into the smooth corners and with a tailwind out of the first hairpin were gathering momentum. I saw the field behind together and assumed they would do the same thing. However coming to the half way point, they weren't making ground. Seeing this I urged the other two on - in retrospect I wish I had chosen my language rather more carefully, but I couldn't believe we were getting away with this - and they both dug in some more and we made it the the last two thirds of the lap where it is possible to be out of sight and attack more.
Coming into the final straight I still couldn't believe we hadn't been caught, however still had the uphill headwind to contend with. It would have been gutting to lose it now so I dug deep, as did the others and I have no idea how but we all made it to the line ahead of the pack by a reasonable distance.
It's a bit late to make much impact in the series but I enjoyed the race and now knowing what the facilities and track are like, hope to give a few more a go before they conclude.
Thanks
Peter
